Brutus, Sam, Rex, Chumley, Dusty…all male dogs in my life. One little female wormed her way in: Tina. It was never a conscious decision of mine to choose a male dog over a female dog. It didn’t matter what sex they were when I rescued each of them. But if you’d like to consider one versus the other, here’s some helpful advice.
Some generalizations about choosing a male or female pet from www.essortment.com:
There are pros and cons for each, and the decision becomes a matter of preference. One important point: every pet should be spayed or neutered. In addition to population control, spaying and neutering your pets greatly decreases their chances for various types of cancers while improving certain undesirable behaviors such as territorial marking and humping. Spayed and neutered pets live longer and healthier lives.
There are a few general ideas that people use as guidelines when choosing between a male and a female.
Female dogs are not as likely to mark their territory, which often makes them slightly easier to housetrain. One drawback of females is that they tend to be very independent, which means they may like to have time alone, and they might not always want to be touched when you want to pet them. They can also be very stubborn, making training a bit more challenging.
Males are more prone to marking and aggressive behavior, but neutering can greatly reduce these behaviors. Males also have a reputation for humping people, objects, and other dogs. Most of the time this is a show of dominance that can be corrected with training; however, neutering will help eliminate this behavior as well.
One of the benefits of owning a male animal is that they are typically more dependent on their people than females. This often makes them more affectionate toward people. Male dogs have a tendency to be more eager to please during training, so they are slightly easier to train.
Choosing between a male or female dog is really just a matter of preference. Generalizations can be made about each, but like humans, every animal is different. They all have their own personalities, and while some exhibit typical behaviors, others do not. Whether you choose a male or female, training is essential for it to be a valuable part of the family. Dogs have to be taught what is expected of them, just like children. Behaviors that show dominance or aggression can be altered with training. Because dogs are pack animals, they need to know their place in the pack. Until they learn their place, they may test you or your family members to see who the leader of their pack is.
Choose the animal that is right for you, but be ready to invest the time in training it to ensure a good relationship with your pet.
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QUESTION FOR YOU: Do you have a male or female dog? Both? How do you feel about this subject?
Just last night one of the boys (human) decided to answer nature’s call in the yard (too lazy to come inside?). Archie (2-1/2 year old Westie, did not approve of someone else marking his territory, so he marched over and hiked his leg on the offender’s ankle. I know it’s bad, but I couldn’t stop laughing anyway!
Niki, that is TOO funny! I can just see Archie lifting his leg on the boy’s foot. Hilarious! So nice of you to share that funny moment. : )
Hi BJ! I’ve always had male dogs until Kelly. Our dalmatian was not neutered because we showed him, and our yellow lab was neutered. There were many differences between the three dogs, but none I feel I can pin down to gender. However, I must say that I really enjoy having a little girl now!
Peggy, thanks for the comment. Glad to hear you are enjoying your little sweetheart!
My husband, John, and I have always had female dogs. When I was growing up, my parents always had male dogs and that was before the big thing about neutering, so our dogs marked. Maggie, our pet Bischon, is a very dependent on me. She thinks my life duty is feeding, walking and holding her. I’ll send pics soon. Sorry I’m so late.
Hi Sue, thanks for sharing about your life with dogs! Please do send pics. I haven’t posted them yet. : ) Have a great day.
Hi, I have a female border-collie named Mya, she
was a 20 mnth. rescue with lots of issues when we got her. she was easy to train, I think it comes with the breed, but can become very manipulative if given full reign. she is energized 24-7 and when
playtime comes she doesn’t like to be touched by anyone as it’s all about the ball & stick. she has had bad habits like any dog but easyily corrected.
she is very loyal & we love her but at the same time we must stay consistent or she will take over.
Noelle
Hi Noelle, you hit on that key word: consistent. So important with dogs! Thanks so much for sharing about Mya! Have a great day!